Rotary internal-combustion engine



2; 1970 w. H. SCHROEDER 2,413,734

RQTARY INTERNfiL-COMHUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Shoot 1 Jan. 7, 1947. w, H SCHRQEDEFI 2,413,734

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 7, 1947. I w. H. SCHROEDER v 2,413,734

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jane E47 their SATES PAT E NT 2 Claims.

1 My invention relates to an internal combustion engine but particularly to a rotary internal combustion engine. In the accompanying drawings,

I prefer to show a two cylinder four cycle gas engine with each cylinder having two work strokes per revolution of the drive shaft.

The object of my crank type of engine, is first, to increase the horsepower per unit weight of the engine by causing a cylinder of equal size to deliver more work to the drive shaft in equal time, i. e., to make the cylinder have more work strokes per revolution of the drive shaft; second, to increase the power applications around the drive shaft and thus permit the drive shaft to deliver the same amount of work in a lesser number of revolutions per unit of time-by having a constant and longer lever arm and by making the driving force on the lever arm at all times tangent to the radius of the drive shaft; third, to increase the thermal efficiency, 1. e., to convert a greater percentage of the heat generated in to work, by permitting the heated gases after combustion, to expand more immediately and at a constant rate of speed, on the theory, that if the gases expand thusly, there will be less loss of heat, and permit the efficiency in actual practice, of adiabatic and isothermal expansion and expansion at constant pressure to approach more closely the theoretical efficiency, in other words to decrease entropy; fourth, to develop a cycle that will permit the fuel charge to reach atmospheric pressure before compression by permitting the motion of the piston with respect to the cylinder to remain nil sufliciently long, before the compression stroke; fifth, to provide a conduit for carrying fuel through a hollow drive shaft from a manifold fixed around the revolving drive shaft, to the cylinders; sixth, to provide a conduit through a hollow drive shaft for exhausting or scavenging the hot burned gases; seventh, to provide for cooling the exhaust conduit and prevent it from conducting heat to the drive shaft as it passes through it; eighth, to provide a method of cooling the cylinders by revolving them through the air; ninth, to provide an electric conduit from a commutator fixed around the revolving drive shaft and passing through the hollow drive shaft to the spark plugs;

tenth, to provide an oil duct from an oil manifold fixed around.- the revolving drive shaft and passing through the hollow drive shaft to feed the various ducts that lubricate the various parts of the rotor; and eleventh, to provide housing and facilitates for preventing the oil from scattering and to conduct it to an oil reservoir; and twelfth,

invention, compared with the to provide a mechanism for controlling and directingtwo equal, opposite and concentric forces that vary uniformly the same, created in a combustion chamber, the first acting on a cylinder and the second on a piston of an internal combustion engine, so that these forces, the first acting directly and the second indirectly, will each simultaneously cause a rotor to rotate about a stator in the same direction and cause each force to create approximately the same moment equal to one-half the total amount about the center line of the drive shaft.

I attain these objectives by the mechanism 11- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the engine with the upper half of guard plate t removed and parts of hanger I, cover plate and manifold 2 and 3 respectively, sleeve 61, and plates 3i and 32 cut away. Figure 2 shows section 2-2, Fig. 1. Figure 3 shows section 3-3, Fig. 1 of the rotor in the upper half and an elevation of the rotor in the lower half. Figure 4 shows section 4-6, Fig. 1. Figures 5 and 6, an elevation and perspective respectively, show earns 21 and arms 28. Figures '7 and 8 show two different elevations of shaft l6, wheel 2d and cams 20 and 2f.

Similar numerals refer throughout the several views. gether with the combination cover-plates mani folds 2 and 3 respectively and the guard plates 6 constitute the framework of the engine, with the cog-wheels 5 fixed to the hangers l, all integral parts, form the stator. The rotor consists of drive shaft, cylinders, pistons, and motivating parts, hereinafter referred to, together with pinions that mesh with the cog-wheels 5 and cause the rotor to revolve about the stator.

In the hangers i are placed the bearings 6 in which turns the hollow drive shaft 1. To the drive shaft I are fixed the webs 8, being an integral part of same. The webs 8 carry the arciform cylinders 9. The webs 8 also carry the circumferential housing or casing iii, terminating in the crown members ii and continuing as the circumferential housing l2 to the second cylinder 9, all constituting an integral part and. all terminating in the flange l8, every part of which lies in the same vertical plane. Standards it and plates it, together forming an integral part, is attached to the hollow drive shaft 3 by passing the latter through a central annular opening in the former and seating and bolting the former to the flanges l3 and ti. Plates it together with casings I0 and 12 form a housing around the to similar parts Hangers i to= motiva'ti g parts connnes the la ricating oil. The circumferential nanges fixed to the standards i iand ou ing the cog-wheels ll and it together with plates and the circumferential annular plates formed around and over the fixed gears and bolted to the flange 33 which forms an integral part of the plates 35, completes the housing of the motivating parts and directs the lubricating oil to gears 5, ll, and I8, grooves 35 or spaces 35. The standards l l journal the shafts it at a suitable distance from the center lines of the drive shaft l. Shafts iii rotate with an angular velocity opposite in direction to that of the drive shaft l and with twice its magnitude. This action is accomplished by having the shafts H carry the cog-wheels ll geared to the pinions 58 which turn on the trunions it fixed to the standards i l; these pinions 58 mesh with the fixed cog-wheels Attached to the shafts it are the cams 2c and 25 that lift the intake valves 2'2 and the exhaust valves 23 respectively. Also attached to the shafts it) and rotat ng with same ar the built-up wheels each consisting of a hub and two plates elongated along the diameter and forming two arms through which the pins pass and on which the rollers 26 turn. As the wheels 2 1 turn, the rollers 26 engage the cams 2?, hereinafter referred to. The cams 2'2 form an integral part of the arms that turn on the drive shaft l. motion imparted to "the arms 23, through the mechanism of the wheels 23 contacting the cams 22 is conveyed to the arciiorrn pistons 29 (which work. in the cylinders 9) through the arcuated connecting rods 38. The arms are joined together as integral parts so that the pistons 29 act together with the same motion, but when one of the pistons is making a compression stroke the other is making an exhaust or scavenging stroke and so when one pis ton cooperating with a cylinder to make a work stroke the other cylinder is making a suction stroke etc. This is accomplished by simply adjusting the cams Eli and ill on the shaft it.

Just before and just after-the rollers 25 engage the cams the pistons and cylinders are traveling at the same an ular velocity, i. e., the motions of the pistons with respect to the cylinders is nil. This co11d n continues until the rollers 25 engage that pa [1 o the cams it? at a, when the pitch of the cams s begins to increase gently and the pistons 22?; are moved forward in the cylinders on the compression and exhaust strokes. The compression exhaust strokes are completed when the rollers l engage the cams at the p ints As eels continue to revolve, tn roll slightly ed the rollers n a position on the points i; r the work and suction strokes. [at this 'tion and combustion takes place in one u linders, the rollers 2% move along tile to the points a. During this per ngu r velocity of the pistons 22 is nil, p1 ssure of the expanding gases drive the cylinders forward and also communicate to the wheels through the integral parts (pistons, connecting rods, arms, and cams) a force approximately equal, opposite, and parallel to the force acting the cylinders. Through the motivating parts already described, these two forces are directed. simultaneously and respectively to and the wheels Since the .rds in Journal the shafts it to which the wh the gears ll are fixed, these two opposite 1 es constitute a couple that cause the wheels 2i and the gears El to turn,

thus directing their force to the fixed gears 5 through the pinions I3 and cause the rotor to rotate about the stator in the same direction that the forces on the cylinders, by direct action, cause the rotor to rotate. So that these two opposite forces acting on the cylinders and the pistons may be most effectively directed to the drive shaft, their two systems of motivating parts that direct these forces must be in balance, that is, so designed that they create the same moments about the center line of the drive shaft and thus merge the two systems in to a singlecooperating unit. To accomplish this unification, the ratio of the radii of the gears H to the gears 5 must be approximately equal to the ratio of the magnitudes of the maximum line drawn from the center line of the shaft l6 to the perimeters of the rollers 25, to the line drawn from the center line of drive shaft 7 to the center line of the cylinders 9. As the rollers 26 engage the cams ill at the points 0, the pitch of the cams 2? is again manifest by an increasing angular velocity of the pistons 29 up to where the rollers 26 contact the'cams 21 at the points d when the angular velocityof the pistons 29 again equals that of the cylinders 9 and the points 8 of the cams 2i engage the sides of the members it which are also traveling at the same angular velocity. This motion continues until a repetition of the cycle is commenced as the opposite arms of the wheels 2Q engage the cams 27 at the points a. This combination of motivating parts permits the gases in the cylinders after combustion to expand at a uniform rate of speed and permits the fuel charge to reach atmospheric pressure before the combustion stroke begins. The cam that motivates the pistons in the afore described cycle, consists of segments of circles with three difierent radii, a tangent, and the segment of an ellipse coincident with the locus of an imaginary fixed point (on the perimeter of the rollers 26 a maximum distance from the center line of the shafts. It) as the rotor revolves. Those parts of the cam path denoted by a to the beginning of the path, and d to the end of the path are segments of a circle with radii equal to the distance from the center line of the shafts it to the maximum outside point on the perimeters of the rollers 26, this permits the rollers '26 to engage and leave the cam path with smoothness. The distance from the point a to the point I) on the cam path follow the segment of a circle and its tangent. so chosen, that the radii of the wheels 25, as the wheels contact the cam path through the rollers 25, is at all times close to the normal, as is practicable, of the circle and its tangent. This assures a gentle pitch for the cam path. As the point I) on the cam path roll slightly off the rollers 25, the rollers engage that part of the cam path that is coincident with the path of an imaginary fixed point on the perimeters of the rollers herein-oefore described, as the rotor turns. Where the gear ratio between the gears ll and 5 is as l is to 2, as in this case, the cam path from the point .lipse or curve.

earn path, all oi this results in a rotary move ment, that is, the rollers 28 tend to rotate in the cam path that generates a gentle pitch and in creases the angular velocity of the pistons to that of the rotor. During the time that the rollers engage the cam path fronrthe point (i to the point e plus the time the opposite rollers 25 en gage the cam path from the beginning of the cam path to the point a, the motion of the pistons with the respect to the cylinders is nil.- It is dur= ing this period that the fuel charge reaches atmospheric pressure before the compression stroke begins. This cam path gives smoothness and continuity to the pistons as it motivates them through their cycle and adapts itself well to any variations in this cycle if desired.

To the cylinder heads 36 are attached the fuel ducts 3i and the exhaust ducts 38 which pass down through the walls of the drive shaft l and out through the center of the hollow shaft '8, thence the fuel supply ducts 31 terminate and connect with fuel supply space cl formed by the manifold 3 and sleeve t? (an integral part of shaft '7). Manifold 3 journals the bearings it in which sleeve ll turns. Where the ducts 37 and 33 pass through the walls and out through the center of the hollow shaft 7 a suitable air-space 39 is left between the ducts and the walls of the shaft to permitcooling facilities. It should be noted that for purposes of assembly, the parts of the drive shaft marked :39 plates 32, and ducts 37' or are fabricated as a unit. To the cylinders and the cylinder heads 36 are fixed COOIIig vanes 6B so pitched as to create a suitable circulation of air as the cylinders rotate and thus provide cooling facilities for the cylinders. Intake valves and exhaust valves 23 seated in the cylinder heads 36 pass the housing so through the guide plates 32 then through the guides at supported by the brackets ilt that also support the valve springs 35.

All cylinders, pistons, bearings, and other parts ill that have to be lubricated, aredone so by a suit= I able oil force feed system. From the oil supply space 56 formed by the manifold 8 and sleeve ll turning in the bearings :88, the oil passes along the main oil feed duct St to the various ducts that lubricate the moving parts. Together with circumferential flanges it the flanges 5! form an outer and inner shell to form the oil trap 52. This trap 52 catches the oil forced by pressure in the d casing from the casing through the conical per iorations 58 extending in to the traps 52. The oil thus trapped is forced along to the ducts that empty in to the spaces 35, then drains to the outlets 55 which lead to the oil reservoir, There are also ducts 5% connecting the casin with the spaces 35 and helps to conduct the excess oil from the casing to said spaces as. I

The commutator 5? serves as a medium for transmitting an electric current from the stator to the rotor, the electric conduit 53 carrying the current to the sparkplugs 59. To provide proper facilities for keeping the earns 27 in contact with either the rollers 28 or the members it at all times, tension springs 6t are fattached to the standards it and arms 2%. I

I am aware that prior to my invention, rotary internal combustion engines have been designed with a rotor rotating in or about a stator. I do not claim such a combination broadly; hut

I claim:

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a stator, a rotor having a shaft, means journaling the shaft for rotation relative to the stator, an

arcuate cylinder disposed circumferentially of the shaft, means securing the cylinder to and radially spacing it from the shaft, an arcuate piston reciprocably mounted in the cylinder, a radial arm rotatably mounted on the shaft and secured to the piston, fuel valve means operable to admit fuel to the cylinder, means for actuating said valve, exhaust valve in the cylinder, means for actuating the exhaust valve in timed relation to actuation of the fuel valve means, cam means operatively connected with the stator and rotor to intermittently move the piston inwardly oi the cylinder, and spark means associated with the cylinder to ignite fuel in the cylinder whereby to urge the cylinder and piston in opposite directions circum, .terentially oi the axis of the shaft, said cam means being operable in response to the last-mentioned movement of the piston to urge the rotor in the opposite direction.

2. The engine of claim 1 wherein the operative connection of the cam means to the stator and rotor comprises a gear secured to the cam means, a gear stationarily secured to the stator, and a pinion gear interposed between and meshing with both the first-mentioned gears.

wanrsa rr, sonnoanma. 

